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Beauty + Style

Vote or Die: Sean John Relaunches a Classic Campaign With a Message More Urgent Than Ever

When Sean John launched its first “Vote or Die” campaign in 2004, America was still emotionally recovering from the 9/11 terrorist attack, we’d waged war on Iraq, and the second term of George W. Bush’s presidency was at stake—and many of us couldn’t have imagined those stakes could possibly get higher. Fast-forward 16 years, and…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

October 13, 2020
Beauty + Style

The Brotherhood: Raymond Santana Creates a T-Shirt to Commemorate the Central Park Five

If, like me, you spent a good part of your weekend tearfully watching Ava DuVernay’s masterful When They See Us on Netflix, you likely walked away wanting to ensure the world never forgets what was done to Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Korey Wise and Raymond Santana. The five boys—then aged 14 to 16…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

June 3, 2019
Beauty + Style

The Message: To Champion Inclusivity This NYFW, the Best Said It With Their Chests

Major fashion statements are expected at New York Fashion Week, but this season, they were literal. Though statement tees have been appearing on runways for several years now, designers took the trend to the next level this season, as film characters, political messages, and slogans of self-love all strutted down the catwalk this September. Designer…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

September 13, 2018
Beauty + Style

Whose Black Don't Crack? O Magazine's Creative Director Raises Eyebrows—and Questions—With a Shirt

What a difference a week makes: Last Friday around this time, The Glow Up posted a story about a black man who’d conducted a clever (and sadly revealing) social experiment by wearing a T-shirt that riffed on the Washington Redskins logo by reworking it to say “Caucasians”—and a heated debate ensued. Some (like myself) thought…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

August 10, 2018
Beauty + Style

Say It With Your Chest: How a T-Shirt Proved the Worst Thing You Can Call White People Is 'White'

When Frederick Joseph recently decided to rock a politically-charged t-shirt on a day out in New York City, he knew there was a possibility of it turning heads. After all, the shirt’s logo was a riff on the hotly-debated traditional Washington Redskins logo—with an ingeniously racialized twist: The stereotypical Native American image and slur were…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

August 3, 2018
Beauty + Style

Yes, We Do Care: Michelle Obama’s Stylist and Several Designers Remind Us to Care About What We Wear

“Barack and I knew very early that we would be measured by a different yardstick. Making mistakes was not an option for us. Not that we didn’t make mistakes, but we had to be good—no, we had to be outstanding—at everything we did. … When you’re the first, you’re the one that’s laying the red…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

June 26, 2018